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Allegations about Beleave and referral to the Electoral Commission[edit]

In March 2018 former BeLeave activist, Shahmir Sanni, claimed that BeLeave was used by Vote Leave to exceed legal spending limits. It emerged that VoteLeave used BeLeave as a channel for a large payment to AggregateIQ, a Canadian company which worked on pro-Brexit projects.

On 17 July 2018, the Electoral Commission published the conclusions of its investigation into the campaign spending of Vote Leave and found that Vote Leave and Darren Grimes broke electoral law. Darren Grimes, representing BeLeave, was fined £20,000, the maximum permitted individual fine, for exceeding its spending limit as an unregistered campaigner by more than £660,000 and delivering an inaccurate and incomplete spending return.[2]

It subsequently emerged in a High Court of Justice case that Vote Leave had received incorrect advice from the Electoral Commission.
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High Court of Justice findings against the Electoral Commission and BeLeave[edit]

On 14 September 2018, the High Court of Justice found against the Electoral Commission, stating that its advice to Vote Leave and Darren Grimes was incorrect, but confirmed that the overspending had been illegal. Vote Leave subsequently said they would not have paid BeLeave without the advice.[4]

Grimes began an appeal against his fine before the High Court's findings.